Obliviate
by srirachachan
Summary: This is a story I threw together because I love Snape. Aaaand, that's pretty much it I guess.


My parents died when I was still a baby so I couldn't remember them. I was placed with a foster mother and lived with her until I was seven. I was happy there until strange things started to happen wherever I was.

The incidents began at random and were always called 'accidents'. Sometimes something in the house would break when there was no one in the room, but it always came down to me. If I had been in a bad mood that day, things would happen more often. Then I learned that I could control these accidents by focusing on them, or just by getting angry. My foster mother became more and more afraid of me, and for good reason. When I lost my temper I would hurt people. I could move objects without touching them. And I was fascinated by snakes.

Eventually, my foster mother could no longer control me and sent me to a home for troubled girls. The time I spent there were the worst years of my life. They abused us, fed us meagerly and forced us to perform rigorous manual labor. We were only allowed one shower a week, which was communal, and only had one uniform each. Laundry day was on shower day.

There was a nurse who gave us physicals and saw us if we were ill, but I didn't particularly like him. He had a habit of staring at the younger girls. One day, I hurt my arm working outside and my 'Professor', which we were forced to call these people who 'taught' us, told me to see him. When I arrived at his office, he told me to take off my clothes so he could examine me better, I told him no but I was only ten and easily overpowered. When he grabbed the collar of my shirt, I screamed and pushed him away, the next thing I saw was the nurse lying on the floor with blood running out of his nose and mouth. I panicked and ran into the basement where I crawled out of the window and escaped. I had no where to go but I there was something special about me, and that's all I needed to survive.

And needless to say, I made it fourteen years on the run with nothing but this gift. I had to steal money, food and clothes. As I got older I learned how to con people into giving me what I wanted. I didn't care about anything but how I would live another day.

On my twenty fourth birthday, as I wandered somewhere in Scotland, I came across a strange village. I waited until dark when the streets were abandoned and then slipped through the shadows like smoke. After passing through the houses, I saw it looming on the horizon. A glorious, glittering castle stood before me. I feasted on the sight. It was drawing me to it. It had to be at least seven stories tall with massive towers all around it. I had to get there. I walked for a while and then slept under a tree near the road.

I woke up early and finished my journey at a set of massive wrought iron gates. They were opened and beyond the gates stood a very tall man with a long white beard. He wore robes of midnight blue that seemed to shimmer with starlight.

"A very good morning to you," said the old man. "And welcome to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am the headmaster and my name is Albus Dumbledore." He held out his hand to me in a gesture of good faith and I was too mind-boggled to turn away. I had a feeling deep within me that I had spent my entire life searching for this place. 'This is what it all led up to,' I thought, as I followed the man into the castle.

The insides of the school were more than I could have ever imagined in a thousand years. We stood in the middle of a long corridor, there were moving paintings all around us. It felt like a dream.

"Ah, yes, quite the sight isn't it?" Dumbledore said with a smile as if he had read my mind. "Follow me now." He lead us through the castle and up many staircases, some of which moved while we were on them. The more I saw of the castle, the more I absolutely knew that this was were I was meant to be.

We finally arrived at an odd statue of a gargoyle. Dumbledore stepped ahead of me and said some sort of incantation to make the statue move to the side to reveal a spiral staircase. I followed the headmaster up the moving stairs and into his office. It was a large circular room filled with tons of magical items. It was beautiful. A group of people were gathered in the center of the room but my eye caught something else first. A large crimson bird like nothing I had ever seen before perched near Dumbledore's desk. My eyes widened in wonder and I thought about how commonplace it must have been for these people to see fantastic creatures every day.

Dumbledore stepped toward the other oddly dressed people and said, "We have much to discuss but first, let us get more acquainted." The people who had been waiting in Dumbledore's office greeted me. The first was a tall and rather stern looking woman who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House. Then, a squat woman who called herself Professor Sprout, head of Hufflepuff, and last was a tiny man: Professor Flitwick who was head of Ravenclaw. There was one man who had been standing apart from the group and he finally turned my head towards me as if he just noticed anyone else was in the room.

My heart jumped when I saw him, he was by far the youngest of all the teachers to introduce themselves. He walked briskly towards me and for a second our gazes crossed and I felt too uncomfortable to look at him any further. "Professor Snape. Head of Slytherin house. Potions Master." A look of disgust flashed upon his face for the briefest of moments before turning away. There was something about him that made me angry, I narrowed my eyes and shot daggers into his back as he walked away. I was unfamiliar with the pinching sensation in my stomach after meeting his cold, black eyes.

"Ah, now then... I'm sure you have many questions, but first I must speak." The old wizard settled himself into a large chair behind his desk and placed his hands together. He seemed to be searching for just the right things to say, then finally he spoke again. "I'll start from the beginning. You are a witch. Though, you might already had some inclination of this. Your parents were both of magical decent." I wasn't quite sure how to respond, not that I could, throat was clenched tight and was as dry as sandpaper. I swallowed.

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled and a smile graced his lips. "Hogwarts is the leading wizarding school in Europe. There are several schools located around the world that teach young witches and wizards when they come of age." Hearing this made my heart begin to race. "Unfortunately, you evaded our every attempts to gather you and bring you here. I regret that very much, it could have saved you many years of unneeded hardship. But it is quite curious that a child at such a young age was able to avoid all attempts at capture by trained wizards. You must have summoned very strong magic to repel us." A lump had formed in my throat and my voice came out as a whisper. "I-I don't... I didn't-!" I looked at Dumbledore with a pleading expression and he seemed to understand what I was thinking. "It must be very overwhelming to hear this. I know that before this day you had no idea that magic even existed, you thought the accidents you had were just horrible misfortune. But that is why you're here now. Your case is very special, it is absolutely unprecedented. No witch or wizard has ever performed magic so extraordinary-"

Dumbledore's words were cut off by Snape who stood from his chair abruptly. "This whole situation is a farce! Treating this girl as if she were some sort of celebrity for her extreme misconduct. I will not stand here and listen to this, Headmaster." But Snape's words seemed to roll off of Dumbledore with no effect whatsoever.

The Headmaster didn't raise his voice, but spoke calmly: "Severus please sit back down and let me continue. This will be over shortly but she must know. She must be educated. This girl was absent from our world and must be taught our ways. She cannot continue to-"

Again, Snape interrupted. "Her memory should be altered and she must be sent away from here. I-"

I lost my temper then. My vision suddenly seemed to burn red when I stood from my chair, it hurtled across the room seemingly of it's own accord. I rushed at Snape and got inches from his face and began to yell words I can't even remember. I could hear a glass vase shatter from across the room and the other professors gasped in fright and all stood up in turn, taking out their wands and pointing them at me. But Dumbledore remained seated, he didn't seem to be worried.

"I will not be spoken to this way! I am your professor! I am your superior!" Snape was only slightly taller than me and I stood on my toes to look him in the eye, our noses were nearly touching now. My lips peeled back, revealing my bared teeth and I hissed in his face.

The professor looked as if I had slapped him, and took a step backward gaping at me, struggling to find any more words. I suddenly felt ashamed of myself and could feel embarrassment flaming across my cheeks. Why had I hissed, of all the things I could have done or said, I hissed like a snake.

"This is precisely why she needs to be taught, Severus," Dumbledore said as he soundlessly pulled my chair back to its original position. "I trust you understand that. May I continue or should we take a moment and go down to the Quidditch pitch so you can throw jinxes at each other?"

I sat immediately but couldn't look Dumbledore in the eye again. Snape sat as well. The headmaster took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, then placed his slender fingers against his temples. "You will be taught by the professors sitting in this room," he said, sounding slightly perturbed now. "Unfortunately the Ministry of Magic has already been informed that you are here and they are not pleased. Therefore, you cannot attend classes with the other children but will have private lessons that will be beginning as soon as you buy supplies. The Minister herself will arrive tomorrow and the three of us shall sit down and have an enlightening conversation, I'm certain." I squirmed in my seat and my stomach clenched again.

"For now though, you will be sorted into one of the four Houses and then be on your way to Diagon Alley for your school supplies." Once again, he seemed to read my mind and put up a hand to stop me from speaking. "You still have questions, yes, I'm sure. They will be answered in time. But for now, we commence with the Sorting." Dumbledore stood up and walked across the room, removing a very old hat from a shelf. "This is the Hogwarts Sorting Hat. It is rich with history, but I won't bore you with that now." I looked at the hat curiously and managed to smile.

Suddenly, a tear in the brim of the hat opened wide and it began to speak. I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Normally I would recite a song of my own creation before a sorting, but I have already told my tale this year and I do not wish to reuse old material! The four founders of Hogwarts school are as follows: Godric Gryffindor who valued bravery, daring, nerve and chivalry in his students. Rowena Ravenclaw who looked for intelligence and wit in students who would belong to her house. Helga Hufflepuff valued hard work, fair play and loyalty among all else. And last, Salazar Slytherin who valued ambition, cunning and resourcefulness." I grinned broadly now and could hardly wait to be sorted, they all sounded like great houses... except for Slytherin, I didn't want to be in Snape's house. He would probably flunk me for blowing my nose. My smile faded and I looked to all of the professors, they seemed excited, all except for Snape.

"Well then," the hat began again. "What are you waiting for? Go ahead, put me on and I'll have a good old root around!" Dumbledore placed the hat on my head and I immediately felt a curious sensation, as if someone were in my brain. "Don't be alarmed, dear," Professor McGonagall said, noticing the expression of anxiety on my face. "The Sorting Hat is skilled in Legilimency, it can read and interpret your thoughts. Just stay calm and it will do the rest." She smiled at me and it was comforting, I settled down a bit.

The hat was silent for a long time and I almost thought that maybe I wasn't magical after all and it had gone back to sleep because my thoughts were boring it. Then finally, I heard it speak: "Yes, yes, very curious. Very curious indeed! Yes, this is... very... curious..."

"I see a bright flame within your heart, you have gone though tremendous hardships and shown incredible bravery in the face of terrible obstacles. No doubt Gryffindor would be a great match for you... But wait." The hat fell silent for several minutes and Professor McGonagall finally spoke up, "It's a hatstall! Over five minutes of deliberation. This is very rare!" She seemed utterly beside herself with excitement at this.

Finally the hat spoke again. "You would do well in only one house," it said. "There is something... dangerously powerful within you. Something that thirsts for greatness. You want nothing more than to prove yourself, and prove yourself you shall. You will become an exceedingly powerful witch in your time, already having begun the journey. A Slytherin through and through." And with that, the hat fell silent and Dumbledore lifted it off my head and placed it back on its shelf.

Professor Snape tried to hide his pleasure with a dour expression, but it was obvious, despite our conflict, that he was pleased I was sorted into his house. The other professors looked at each other with strange expressions and all shuffled out of the room. "Now then, you will need a chaperone to take you to get your things, Ministry's orders. And since you are a Slytherin, I'm sure Professor Snape would be more than happy to accompany you to Diagon Alley." Snape shot Dumbledore a scornful look but didn't protest. There was something about the Headmaster that kept Snape in line, whether it was fear or respect, I couldn't tell.

Dumbledore handed Snape a small satchel and a folded piece of parchment and then set a rather old pocket watch on his desk. "Unfortunately," he said as he tapped his wand on the small object and said 'Portus'. "There isn't another way for you to quickly travel to London at this time. So I've just made a Portkey. When the time is right, you will place your hand on the pocket watch and it will transport you to a tavern called The Leaky Cauldron. After you have gathered you supplies, you will return to The Leaky Cauldron and take another Portkey back to Hogwarts. One will be waiting for you." I opened my mouth to ask what exactly a Portkey was when the little trinket began to glow with a blue light. "Ah! Almost time! Grab hold of it now!" I hesitated apparently for a moment too long and Snape grabbed my wrist and thrust my hand against the watch just in time. I clenched my teeth as the watch seemed to rocket into oblivion. It felt as if someone grabbed me by the navel and was dragging me through a spiraling tunnel.

The trip was over almost as soon as it began. Snape landed on his feet gracefully and I face-planted into a pile of garbage. I pushed myself to my feet feeling very disoriented and noticed the professor watching me with disdain. We were in an alley way behind, what I assumed had to be The Leaky Cauldron that Dumbledore had mentioned. I was too preoccupied with trying not to vomit to notice the stone wall behind me part in the middle and when I turned around again, a doorway had appeared. "Come, I don't have all day." Snape walked away briskly and I followed him, wobbling.

Diagon Alley was incredible to behold, after I had shaken off the motion sickness that the Portkey had caused. The streets bustled with people and there were dozens upon dozens of different shops. I could barely take it all in, partially because of Snape who seemed to be jogging away from me. "Slow down! Hey! Snape, wait!" He abruptly stopped and I was able to catch up to him. "You will address me as Professor," he purred, though his voice showed a tinge of annoyance. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, Professor," I said, sarcasm bubbling. He seemed to have caught the tone in my voice because he whipped around and snarled at me, his eyes were fierce and full of fire. "I know you think you're some sort of celebrity, Dumbledore has put false ideas in your empty head," he spat at me, his voice was a sharp hiss. "But I will not tolerate insolence. Especially from a student of my own house. I have the power to reprimand you and I will. Don't cross me, girl. I promise if you give me any more cheek I'll have you hung up by your toes in the dungeons."

I was abashed by his words. My face filled up with color and I wasn't sure if I could hold back the tears that threatened to burst through. I didn't say anything in response, but I didn't take my eyes away from his for a second. I was determined to make him look away first. And he did. He turned away from me and walked ahead, at a pace that was easy for me to match. I walked beside him, stealing glances at him, until we got to our first stop. "Ollivanders wands," he said as he opened the door and held it open for me. I stared at him for a second with narrowed eyes, when he caught me he glared back and entered the shop first, letting the door slam behind him before I could enter.

"Those are all wands?" I said, my voice full of wonder when I saw the thousands of boxes that lined the shelves. "Yes, my dear, of course!" said a cheery voice from within the maze of shelves and an older looking man stepped out. "I don't believe we've ever met. My name is Garrick Ollivander." He held out his hand and I introduced myself. "Of course, Dumbledore had informed me that you would be coming. This is rather exciting is it not? Even though you are much older than most of my first time customers, it won't take away from the experience at all, not at all." Mister Ollivander seemed more excited for me to find a wand than I was, and I was more thrilled than I had been most of my life.

He shuffled around, pulling out boxes here and there and laid them out in front of me. "Try this one," he said as he removed the lid from a box and handed me the wand that was inside. "Just give it a wave." Mister Ollivander watched me with rapt attention as I gave the wand a flick. The windows in the front of the shop all exploded at once and I screamed, throwing the wand back on the counter. The wand maker didn't seem too troubled by this, as he took out his own wand and repaired the window in a second.

My heart was bursting through my chest now and I didn't have any desire to do that again. He handed me wand after wand and most of them had a similar effect as the first. Boxes rocketed off shelves, multiple objects exploded and I also set several things on fire. I had to have tried a hundred wands and broken the windows in the shop at least half that many times before Mister Ollivander scratched his chin and said, "There is a special wand that I possess. Pardon me while I fetch it. The wand chooses the wizard, after all. So we shall see if you can tame it."

The wand maker disappeared for several minutes and returned with an ancient looking box in his hands. He set it on the counter and removed its lid. The wand inside was gorgeous, none of the others held a candle to this one. Even Snape, upon seeing it seemed intrigued, or concerned.

The wood on the handle of the wand was pale, almost like bone and the shaft spiraled down, getting darker as it went until it was jet black at the tip. "Go ahead, pick it up," Ollivander urged. My hand was shaking as I reached down and grabbed it. The moment the wand touched my fingers I felt a powerful surge run through my arm, almost like an electrical shock. I gripped it firmly and waved it in front of me as I did with all of the others. The air around me buzzed and a crackle of red lightning burst from the tip of the wand. I looked to Ollivander and his face was grave. "This wand is extremely rare," he said as he gazed at it. "My great-great grandfather fashioned this wand for an incredibly powerful wizard. It was passed down in that family for generations... Until it came back to me. It came back to me twenty-two years ago. I put it away, never spoke of it to anyone else. Except for Dumbedlore, he mentioned to me that you might be it's proper keeper. How curious." My eyes widened, the familiar lump grew in my throat again and I felt that something dark followed me, though the only person who seemed to know anything was Dumbedore.

The old man looked up at me and he seemed almost frightened. "Yew, thirteen inches, rigid... with a core of... basilisk skin." At that, Snape scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. I know of no wand maker who has ever made a basilisk skin wand, that is unheard of." Ollivander shook his head. "I know of only one wand, this wand. It was fashioned by request, no other has ever been made." His eyes met mine again and he grabbed my arm. I became frightened. "You will use this wand for good? It has a strong inclination to the Dark Arts and I implore you-" Snape threw down several gold coins at the mans feet and snatched me by my wrist. "He's an old fool. We're leaving. His mind has gone soft with age." I was dragged out of the shop but my eyes didn't part from Ollivander's pleading face until the door slammed between us.

Professor Snape muttered the entire time we walked down the street to our next stop. "Fool" and "Senile" were some of the words I caught. I didn't think about asking him what had just happened, I knew he wouldn't tell me anything even if he knew. The only person who I would get any answers from was the Headmaster.

The rest of the day was fairly boring, I collected books for my classes, robes, and potion ingredients. Snape barely spoke to me at all, he seemed to be in a horrible mood ever since we left Ollivanders. Though it seemed like he was the kind of person to always be in a bad mood. After several hours, everything had been crossed off the list Dumbledore had given us.

I was beside myself with boredom and fed up that Snape refused to talk to me. "Snape, Snape, Severus Snape. Snape, Snape, Severus Snape," I chanted in hopes that he would get annoyed and yell at me again. I enjoyed to see him upset. "Severus!" I called at him and immediately I regretted it that time. Professor Snape whipped around at me and thrust his wand into my cheek with wicked speed. People around us were startled and hurried past, muttering. He grabbed my chin with his other hand and held my head still while he bore his wand into the side of my face. Tears began to stream down my cheeks, my eyes burned like fire. His face was distorted with fury like I had never seen and his black eyes almost looked red with absolute hatred. "I-I'm sorry!" I wailed, freely crying now. It was strange that I had not been consumed by anger then, but by fear. Fear of staring into his eyes, those black eyes.

My voice must have struck something within his shriveled up heart because he let go of me and backed away. I stood there for a moment and massaged my cheek. "I hate you," I hissed and bolted in the opposite direction. I had no idea where I was going, I ran through side streets until I had lost myself. I stopped at a shop that had several small tables in front of it and sat down. I covered my face with my hands and breathed deeply to calm myself.

"Well, hello there young lady. Seems like someone could use a sundae, how about it? It always cheers me up when I'm not feeling my best." I raised my head and wiped my nose on my sleeve. There was a gentleman standing next to me holding an enormous bowl of ice cream with at least half a dozen toppings on it. It looked delicious. "I'm sorry," I said, as I sniffed and wiped my eyes on my sleeve. "I don't have any money..." The man laughed and sat down , pushing the bowl of ice cream in front of me. "On the house, of course. You need a pick me up more than I need a few sickles, that's for sure." He nudged the bowl closer. "Eat! Eat! Best dessert anywhere." The man leaned back and rested his head in his hand and watched me, eager for me to take a bite.

I finally gave in and took a giant spoonful. It was the best ice cream I had ever had, and I told him so. "Glad to hear it. I pride myself on my confections. My name is Florean Fortescue and this is my ice cream parlor. I specialize in dairy treats, but also advice giving or just lending an ear to people who need to talk." He smiled at me again and I felt something inside of me give in, I hadn't ever had someone offer to listen to my problems. "I could use someone to talk to."

Mister Fortescue didn't say anything but nodded slightly, urging me to speak. "It's a long story, but I guess I'll start from the beginning..." Once I began, the words tumbled out and I couldn't stop them. The man was so easy to confide in, he never interrupted me and listened with rapt attention until the very end. I told him things I had never told another soul, mostly because I never had another soul to speak to. I finished my story where it had ended then, me running away from Snape and winding up at the ice cream shop. He nodded and seemed to mull everything around in his head for a moment. "It's curious isn't it? The connections that we share with each other. Very special people are connected in ways others can only imagine. Sometimes life drags you along for the ride but there's always something at the end of the path."

I watched him as I finished off the last of my melted ice cream. Mister Fortescue chuckled and patted me on the back. "What I mean to say is, every one of us is the main character in a book of our lives and it's very difficult to take a step away and look into someone else's book. You never know what two people who seem so different might have in common. Give him a chance. Share your experiences. Sometimes people who have been dragged through the path of stones need a little help seeing that there is a side of life full of happiness. Our hearts get cold with disuse, some people need help relighting the fire that burns within us all." Florean rose out of his chair, scooped up the empty bowl and stepped away. "W-wait, wait, wait, no. I'm not in love with Severus Snape!" I called after him, color rising in my cheeks. "After everything I told you, that's what you got out of it? Weren't you listening to anything I said!?" He turned around to me and winked. "Listening and making ice cream, those are my jobs. And maybe you must have misunderstood me, I never said you were in love with Severus Snape, you did. " He turned around a final time and walked back into his shop. My face was burning like fire.

"His ice cream is very good, isn't it?" A silky voice said from behind me. I jumped a mile in my chair and spun around to I find Professor Snape standing several feet away. "Sure," I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, unsure how much he had heard of my conversation that I thought was private.

"I wanted to apologize for losing my temper before. I overreacted and I am very sorry." He seemed sincere enough and I nodded, absentmindedly stroking my cheek that was now developing a very nasty bruise. "Here," he said as he moved toward me with fluid grace. He bent forward, his face was inches from mine. Our eyes met for a moment and I was suddenly embarrassed again, why did I always feel this way around him? He raised an eyebrow and looked at me questioningly. Then, the Potions Master gently caressed the sore spot on my cheek with his thumb for a moment before pulling away.

"That's better," Snape said, examining my face. "Just a minor healing spell. And I would appreciate it if-"

"If we kept this between us? Yeah, I don't think Dumbledore would be to pleased with me for running off either." I smiled nervously and stood up. "That's Professor Dumbledore," Snape corrected. I rolled my eyes again.

We made our way to The Leaky Cauldron to catch the Portkey back to Hogwarts. "I wanted to say that I'm really sorry too," I said finally. "I was being a jerk on purpose. So... I didn't mean what I said... I don't hate you." I looked up at Snape out of the corner of my eye and saw him smile genuinely for the first time since we met. "And I hope we can be friends," I added. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "I'm your professor, you're my student. We can't be friends. It doesn't work that way." I rolled my eyes at him. "Why are you so serious all the time? Mister Fortescue said that we all have our own stories. And I would like to know more about you. I mean, we have to be the same age anyway. You don't look any older than me. So, I know you're my professor, but you never know how much we might have in common. It's not like I'm a little kid that's trying to sneak out of the house at midnight to go drinking in a parking lot with you or something!" I laughed at this but Snape turned and looked at me with a mix of confusion and revulsion.

"Oh my god," I muttered. "You really do need to lighten up." I smirked at him and surprisingly enough, he shot me the same little grin and added, "Twenty five."

"What?" I asked, slightly confused.

"I said, I'm twenty five years old. You were wondering. So now you know." I was shocked and yet pleasantly surprised by his sudden change in attitude. For the first time all day I felt like we were bonding, it was nice to have a friend, even if he didn't think that's what we were.

Once again I found myself staring at him from the corner of my eye, I hadn't realized how long I had been doing it, and turned my head away just in time to miss him steal a glance at me as well. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest and I couldn't figure out why. I felt like I had a thousand live bees in my stomach when I was around him, I tried to ignore it.

We arrived at the alleyway behind the Leaky Cauldron once more, but this time we entered the tavern. "We have some time before the Portkey will be ready, we should get a drink. Dinner will be served in the Great Hall shortly after we return to Hogwarts so eating here would be inadvisable," Snape said in a cool tone. I shrugged.

We sat in a secluded corner of the shabby pub and Snape ordered two 'butterbeers'. I picked up the bottle and examined it. "Is this alcoholic?" I asked, having never heard of the drink before. "Slightly," Snape replied. "Not enough in one bottle to get you intoxicated." He glanced at me from the corner of his eye as he took a sip. I sniffed the drink and then took a swig as well, it was delicious and I downed the rest in an instant.

A few minutes of silence passed between us. Snape seemed to study the bottom of his empty bottle of butterbeer intensely and I watched him curiously before speaking. "So," I said. I didn't know what to say but the silence was driving me mad. He looked at me as if he had forgotten I was there. "Are we just going to sit here forever not talking? I mean... I don't know anything about this world. You're my head of house, I'd like to know more about y-" I floundered, "Uh, it... Uh, more about... magic and stuff." My face filled with color and I took a swig of my fresh butterbeer only to choke on it.

Again, Snape stared at me with a mix of disgust and disbelief before speaking, "What do you wish to know? Your lessons start tomorrow and I'm sure you'll learn everything you've been wondering then." I shrugged, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to know, everything I guess. "How about you tell me something I won't learn in class? How about... you tell me more about you?" I could feel my face burning again, I knew for sure now that I was attracted to him, for some reason that was beyond me. I felt like his attempts at being a villain were so obvious that it was almost comical.

The corner of Snape's lip twitched and he shifted his weight uncomfortably. "There isn't much to tell," he responded. "That's a damn lie," I laughed. "You're telling me there's no reason why you act like such a hardass all the time? I bet you had a tragic past and now you're brooding about it. But life goes on, you know." Our eyes met then and I could see a horrible sadness in them, my stomach clenched and for an instant I felt cold, horrible anguish wash over me. Then he looked away.

"I don't understand you," he muttered.

"What don't you understand?" I snapped, twisting my body to try to look him in the face again.

"I don't understand why you care so damn much. You've continuously asked me about myself after I've made it clear I don't wish to speak with you about it. Why? Are you so dim that you don't understand the meaning of the word 'no'?"

It took all my willpower not to slam my fists on the table, instead I took a deep breath and gathered myself, then spoke calmly. I surprised myself by not losing my cool for the first time in many years. "I spent fourteen years of my life alone. I never had a friend, I never had anyone to talk to or to share feelings with. I went through puberty alone, I've never kissed another person..." I paused awkwardly and my cheeks flared up again. 'Why did I say that?' I continued despite Snape's eyes burning holes into me. "I-I'm not trying to pry into your life, I'm not trying to annoy you but-" I threw up my arms in exasperation. "I just feel something. With you. Maybe it's the strings Mister Flortescue talked about, maybe it's because I know a troubled heart when I see one, it's all too familiar to me. I understand that you're my professor, but we are the same age, Severus-" I put up my hand to stop him from interrupting me then, as he opened his mouth to speak, to correct me. "We're more alike than you care to admit. I think we can be friends. Please let me be your friend. I've been alone for so long. To meet someone who's my age after all this time, I can't help but think it's not a coincidence. We could have so much in common if you'd just share it with me."

There was nothing else I could say, I put my whole heart out there for him to pick up, not knowing if he would. He sighed and shook his head, "It's difficult for me, you must understand, I'm a solitary man. I don't like reliving the past. I don't want to remember her. And you remind me so much of her..." Finally, his eyes met mine and I felt that sorrow from within him again. His teeth were clenched in an effort to hold back something, an emotion he hadn't visited in a long while. I touched his hand gently. I was expecting him to recoil at my touch, but he let me hand rest on his and without another word, I knew that he had given into me. We sat in silence for maybe half an hour before he rose to his feet and lead me by the hand to the back of the pub where our Portkey back to Hogwarts waited for us.

My second landing was no better than the first, I stumbled forward and would have crashed into Fawke's perch if Snape didn't catch the back of my jacket and pull me to my feet again. "I trust everything went well?" Dumbledore asked. "Yes sir," Snape and I both said together, making me blush. "Good, good. Your possessions are in your new quarters which Professor Snape will show you after the feast. Although you are in Slytherin house, it would be inappropriate for you to sleep in the dormitories with the other students. Though there is a spot for you in the same wing. Actually, I think your room is very close to yours, Severus. How lovely." I felt like I could shrink into a corner and die there, Dumbledore was definitely trying to embarrass me, I could tell. I think he knew Snape needed a friend just as much as I did.

I followed Snape and Dumbledore down to the Great Hall where there were already tons of students sitting down at long tables to eat. When I walked by, most of them turned their heads and whispered amongst themselves. They were wondering who I was, if I was a new professor, even though I wasn't wearing robes like the rest of them, because I was obviously too old to be a student. I sat next to Snape at the staff table which was incredibly uncomfortable due to all of the stares I was getting.

Immediately upon entering the hall, Dumbledore's voice boomed over the din of students: "Excuse me, your attention please!" The hall became silent. "We have a guest who will be staying with us until the end of the term. You may see her in the corridors, so please be as respectful to her as you would any professor! She has never been to Hogwarts before, so I trust you will lend a hand to her if she needs it. Thank you for your attention and pardon my interruption." The students gradually became louder once again and resumed their previous conversations.

I didn't eat much but the food looked delicious. I might have lost my appetite due to nerves or excitement for my first day of classes tomorrow. After the hall cleared, Snape lead me down to the dungeons were the Slytherin common room was, though I wasn't allowed in. Then we made our way to my quarters, and Dumbledore was right, it was only a few yards away from Snape's. 'Great,' I thought, 'Now I can be worried about him being a stone's throw away from my room on top of everything else.'

"You've had quite an eventful day," he said as he stood in the corridor outside of my room with me. "I'll let you get some rest. You know where my office is if you need anything." He began to walk away but turned suddenly and said almost in a voice to quiet to hear, "Don't hesitate." Then he turned on his heel again and strode away, his cloak billowing behind him. My heart pounded and my throat was tight. What exactly had he meant by that?

I tried to push it out of my head as I entered my room. It was gorgeous, I hadn't expected it to be as large as it was, or as cozy. There were a couple large armchairs and draperies of silver and green, some paintings on the walls and a desk with a quill and ink. Bookshelves lines the walls and were filled from top to bottom. A small door at the far end of the main room lead to my bedroom where most of my supplies I had purchased that day had been deposited. I felt suddenly exhausted as I stared at the bed and before I knew it, I had crawled into it, one shoe still on my foot, and fell soundly asleep.

I woke up the next morning feeling incredibly well rested. I got dressed quickly and gathered my things for the first rounds of lessons. Because I knew virtually nothing, and because the school year was already several months in progress, I couldn't attend regular classes with the first years. The professors had set aside several hours a day where they would tutor me in private. I could only take two classes a day due to the schedule of the Professors other classes, but they made it clear that I was to practice everything I learned every night and on the weekends.

Today I began with Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, followed by Charms with Professor Flitwick. Then I would have my meeting with Dumbledore and the Minister for Magic, the only thing I dreaded so far. I double and triple checked that I had everything I needed for my classes before leaving my room and as I opened the door I was startled to see Snape in the corridor. "Follow me," he said without as much as a 'good morning'. "I'm to escort you to Professor McGonagall's office, lest you get lost on the way. First day in this castle, most first years need maps and I know you don't have one so I thought-" "Professor, you don't have to talk in circles to fill the silence. I'm perfectly content walking with you without saying a word." I smiled and he let out a sigh of relief that he tried desperately to hide. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who's icy heart was beginning to melt. And I wondered, what would come of this?

Transfiguration was difficult as it was the first time I properly got to use a wand, but Professor McGonagall was patient with me and said that I made amazing progress. She was stunned that I was able to transfigure a matchstick to a needle on my second try. Apparently I was a natural. After mastering that simple transfiguration, she gave me something more difficult that she was sure I wouldn't be able to do it at all until we had more lessons. Mcgonagall said that turning an animal into a goblet was something she taught her second year students but she wanted to see how far my 'natural talent' reached. And after only a couple tries, the rat that she placed on my desk was a handsome silver goblet. It would be an understatement to say that she was stupefied. The professor was so astonished that she let me take the rest of her lesson to practice other spells on my own. I was so pleased with myself I couldn't wipe the grin off my face.

I arrived at Professor Flitwick's office precisely on time and he seemed just as eager as I did to begin. "Professor McGonagall told me how wonderfully you performed in her lesson, I can't wait to see what you can do!" He exclaimed in his high pitched voice. The first Charm he asked me to perform was the Levitation Charm, 'Wingarduim Leviosa'. As as in McGonagall's class, I perfected it immediately. "I thought that might be too simple for you," Flitwick said, excitement bubbling in his voice. "Let's jump to a spell I teach my third years and see how you do. It's the Disarming Charm, 'Expelliarmus' and forces the victim to release whatever they are holding. It's used most commonly in duels, but comes in hand elsewhere. One should always know this spell, it's very important if you get yourself into a sticky predicament and need to disarm your opponent without harming them." He showed me the want movement and I practiced the incantation once or twice without my wand. I was nervous at first to point my wand at a teacher but he assured me that I couldn't harm him with this spell. I held my wand firmly in my hand and "EXPELLIARMUS!" Professor Flitwick's wand went flying out of his hand before he could even react. "Excellent! Excellent!" He squeaked. He rained praises on me and just as McGonagall had, let me leave early to practice some spells on my own.

I had never expected my first day to be so exhilarating, so fun. Even the thought of my meeting with the Minister for Magic didn't damped my spirits now.

I decided to go to Dumbledore's office early in hopes that we could have a private conversation before the Minister arrived. When I spoke the password and climbed the stairs, I could immediately hear yelling from inside of the headmaster's office and I stood a moment to listen.

"I never thought you could be so irresponsible, Albus." A woman's voice was shouting. "Having her walk around with students without being supervised at all times? What would happen is someone were injured? Will you take responsibility if she kills a child? What would we tell the public? You let a criminal inside of this school and let her roam around freely to do what she wants? I heard about the wand, you know that was her father's and her grandfather's before him? Basilisk skin, Albus! Did you know that? Have you told her about the man she killed? Have you? Does she know about her parents? Have you told her anything? She needs to know what a monster she-" "That's enough," Professor Dumbledore's voice boomed over the woman's. "I understand the situation, I know what she is. You may not think so, but I'm confident I am more knowledgeable on this matter than you, Minister." There was silence for a moment and then the door opened suddenly.

"Come in please," The headmaster said as he put an arm on my shoulder and walked me into his office the same as he had the previous day. "This is the Minister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold. Now, I believe we have some things to discuss, so please everyone take a seat." I introduced myself to the Minister but she seemed repulsed by my presence.

Dumbledore seemed to be weary of the meeting before it began, but he proceeded to explain the situation to me from the beginning. "I'm going to speak now, please listen. I must be incredibly blunt, I will not soften the truth for I believe you're strong enough to handle it, as ugly as it may be," he began. "When you were a small child, you were assaulted by the nurse of your boarding school." My heart hammered in my chest and I knew exactly what he was going to say. "Unfortunately, the outburst you had was a very powerful magic spell and it killed him almost instantly." My heart sunk into my stomach and I felt like I had been dipped into a vat of freezing water. My hands became numb, my head felt like it was inside of am angry beehive, I didn't know what to do. "Remain calm, nobody is going to take you away. It was an accident. Accidents happen to the best of us, and you were a child who was not aware of your potential. When the Muggle doctors looked at him, they believe he died from a brain aneurism." I don't think it was possible for me to be any less calm at that point, I was a murderer. But I hadn't heard the worst news yet.

Dumbledore sighed heavily before continuing and his hands again, were placed on the sides of his head. "I gave my word that I would not conceal the truth, so I shall not. I am sorry that I must be the bearer of such horrible news.

"Your parents were part of a group called the Death Eaters. They were the followers of an extremely dark wizard named Voldemort who killed many innocent people." My breathing was erratic now, I felt the room spin, Dumbledore's voice suddenly sounded miles away. "Your parents were captured and taken to the wizard prison of Azkaban. They will never be released. The wand you hold belonged to your great-great-grandfather who believed that he was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. He bred a basilisk and was imprisoned for it. The skin inside of your wand was of that basilisk."

"I-I don't... I don't understand," I struggled with my words and I felt like I was speaking with my head underwater.

"The reason why we needed to find you and bring you here was not just for your own safety. Although being so young, no one could have been sure of your potential, but after having a word with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick about your lessons, I'd say you are quite a remarkably brilliant witch. If you turned out to be..." Dumbledore stopped then and reconsidered his words. "Well," he continued. "There are still many things to be considered."

The Minister was listening to Dumbledore with unease and kept glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, like I would spring up and attack at any second. "C-can I be excused for a moment? I think I need some fresh air, I feel like I'm going to be ill." I stood up from my chair and darted out of the room without waiting for a response from either Dumbledore or the Minister. I ran down the stairs and through the castle without stopping until my legs took me to the dungeons. Instead of going to my own room, I ran to the person who's face was pulsing in my mind.

I threw open Snape's door and he immediately got to his feet upon seeing me. "What happened? Are you injured?" His attempts to make himself sound less alarmed than he was were failing. "Yeah, I sure feel like it," I said as my voice wavered and hot tears began to stream over my cheeks. "Dumbledore, he just... My parents are- I am..." I was crying so hard now that I could barely speak. "Come, sit down. It'll be alright," Snape's voice was surprisingly comforting and I crossed the room towards his desk. He put his arm around my shoulder and sat me down, then sat next to me. "He told you then? He was concerned that you would take it like this, though, I'm not sure what else he could have expected."

I looked up at him, he had turned away from me and his hands were fidgeting nervously at the buttons on his chest. "You knew?" My voice was dead. "You knew and you never said anything? After that whole... After the-the-the talk we had? After you held my hand!? HOW COULD YOU!?" I didn't remember standing, but now I was and was leaning over Snape and screaming into his face. "It wasn't my place to say, I'm sorry. I didn't want to-" his voice was calm but I cut him off before he could speak anymore. "TO WHAT!?" I screamed, my voice rang off of the walls of the dungeon. "To ruin a beautiful day that we shared together."

His words hit me like a slap in the face and I recoiled. My lips were peeled back from my teeth in a snarl and I could feel my anger pulsing around me, making my blood boil. "It was a shitty day and you know it. You barely spoke to me the entire time!" I hissed, turning away from him.

"No," he said, his voice was still as calm as ever. "You know it wasn't. You're just upset and saying things you don't mean won't make you feel any better. Please, just sit back down." He was standing now as well, his hand outstretched towards me. "NO!" I shrieked. "I actually trusted you! I've been so alone for so long and you manipulated me! You don't give a shit about me! If you had your way I would be locked up in Azkaban with my parents getting my soul sucked out. That's what you want. You have a black heart, you have no soul, you're dead inside. I thought we could do some good together, that ice cream man put falsities in my head and I believed them like a child would," As I shouted, I could hear bottles behind me shatter and their contents splashing on the floor.

Severus took a step towards me. "Please," he begged. "Control your emotions. I understand that you're angry with me, with Dumbeldore, with your parents for choosing that life over you. I understand." I grabbed my wand from my pocket and pointed it at him, my hand was shaking violently. I didn't know what I thought I could accomplish by pointing a shaft of wood at someone who knew probably hundreds of spells, some that could kill me before I could blink, but this little stick was the only thing I had.

Severus moved toward me, and before I could even take a step away, his arms were wrapped tightly around me. I struggled for only a second before giving in to him. I sobbed harder than ever, my body shuddered inside of his strong embrace. I can't remember ever crying so hard in my entire life, I felt as if I were releasing fourteen years of sadness all at once. He just held me, his hands were fastened together behind my back and he swayed gently back and forth whispering to me. "It'll be alright."

I did nothing but cry, could do nothing but cry, for minutes. "I-am-so-sorry," I choked out between sobs and gasping breaths. "Nothing to be sorry for," Severus said in his silky voice. "You've been through so much." He placed his hand on the back of my head and stroked my hair. My tears had almost completely stopped now and I breathed in his scent deeply, it was calming. I could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

I lifted my head to look at him and for a moment I could have sworn I saw a tear peaking out from the corner of his eye. And then our eyes met again and the sensation I felt when I looked into them was mesmerizing. Behind the sadness was a world of hope and love and I was being pulled into it. Then our lips touched and the room around us seemed to melt away. There was only him and I and nothing else mattered, not my parents, not Voldemort, not Dumbledore, just Severus Snape. His lips were soft and warm and our bodies swayed together. I lingered for a moment and then pulled away. We gazed into each others eyes and then our lips met again, this time harder and more passionately. I parted my lips for him and our tongues danced with each others. My teeth grazed his lip and he let out the slightest moan that made the inside of my mouth vibrate. Our bodies were so tightly pressed together now, I could have sworn we had become one entity for the briefest of moments.

"Wait, please," Snape whispered as he gently pulled my head away from his. "Are you going to say that this is inappropriate, because I don't care," I said, my heart was pounding fast and there was a throbbing heat growing below my belly. "It may be. But no, I need to tell you the truth." Our bodies were still close and I felt his hardness die away. I stared at the buttons on his chest intently, having no desire then to look at him. "Don't be angry with me," he said as he lifted my chin. "You deserve to know. Because... You remind me of her." Snape winced at his own words and I could tell how much this pained him to talk about. "You don't have to do this," I said.

"I do," his voice was trembling. "Because I love you. I want you to know the truth about me, even if you hate me for it, even if you could never love me back." Severus pulled away from me and unbuttoned the seam on his left sleeve, he gripped the fabric as he looked at me and hesitated before pulling the cloth up to reveal his forearm.

At first I didn't know what I was looking at, some sort of tattoo of a skull and a snake. I gazed at it and then looked at him, his face was twisted in a mixture of horrible sadness and shame. "You were one of them," I whispered, my voice barely audible. I gaped at him and stepped away. "You were one of them," I repeated. I was at an utter loss for words.

Snape pulled his sleeve back down and slumped into the nearest chair. "I lost her," he said, his voice was void of emotion. "My Lily." He pressed a hand to his forehead to shade his face.

"Please tell me about her, I want to know about the woman that... made your heart so small. And I want to hear about you. About Voldemort and about why you became one of his followers." He removed his hand from his face without raising his head and began to speak of his childhood.

His father was a Muggle and abusive, he felt unloved and uncared for by his parents just as I had felt towards the world. He described to me in vivid detail the first time he met Lily, her eyes he said, were the most beautiful things he could ever imagine. Every time he mentioned her, he said her name with such longing that it made my heart ache. I wished someone loved me as much as Severus loved Lily, as much as he continues to love her. When they entered Hogwarts together, their relationship changed, as mos things do in time.

Snape had never been popular, he was meek and unusual and tried to compensate and impress others by gravitating to the Dark Arts which only pushed Lily away. The stories he told me about his time at Hogwarts were tragic and I let myself cry silently at his side as he relived the worst days of his life.

"When I arrived at Godric's Hallow that night... I found her... I found... my Lily... and I held her... I didn't want to let her go." Snape grabbed his chest and was almost overcome with grief. I suddenly had no desire to be in the same room with him, I knew that he was too broken, too in love with the past to ever love me with his whole heart.

"It must be difficult for you to hear me speak of her when you have such strong feelings for me." I didn't respond. "But I need someone to love again so I can forget her. I don't want to love someone who's dead any longer, I want to love someone who's here, who's willing to love me, to grow with me. I want to share my life with someone who can experience it with me. Help me move on, help me, please. I truly love you." Severus had stood from his seat and I could feel his eyes on the back of my head. "You want the same thing. We can move on and forget our pasts together. Can you imagine being able to begin again... with me?"

In fact, I could. I had dreamed about him the night before and woke up with a smile on my lips and a throbbing between my legs. I turned. Our eyes met again and for an instant, I knew that he had forgotten Lily and all he thought about was me, entirely me. One moment was a start. You built lives out of single moments, you had to start somewhere, and this was it. I don't know how long we gazed at each other in silence before he embraced me, it felt like a thousand years, the world had died and had been reborn in that room as I stared into his eyes. His arms wrapped around me so tightly I felt as if nothing could harm me ever again, my heart skipped and fluttered in my chest.

Our lips met, this time we feasted on each other. He grabbed the back of my head as he kissed me deeply, I could taste his tears on my lips but now they were no longer tears of sorrow but of a promise for a new beginning. We tugged at each others clothing and almost violently tore piece after piece off. "Why do you have so many buttons?" I asked between gasps. He merely chuckled. As we became less and less encumbered by our clothing, we moved toward his store cupboard at the far end of the room, leaving a trail of pants, shirts, socks and shoes behind us.

Severus pushed me against the shelves that lined the walls of the cupboard, bottles rattled behind me. He held me at an arms length for a moment as his eyes feasted on my body and mine on his. Then we kissed again, this time slowly, our hips swayed together. I could feel his eager hardness pressed against my stomach. I broke our kiss and began to move my lips down his neck where I sucked and nibbled lightly making him moan, then down to his collarbone where I did the same. He ground his hips against mine and made my stomach slick. The hotness between my legs grew and throbbed with anticipation as Severus slid himself between them.

We stood there, barely moving except for our hips and every time his hardness passed over the little bead of flesh between my legs I moaned. My knees quivered and I was unsure how long I could hold myself up for. When the throbbing became too much for me to handle, I braced myself on the shelves behind me and parted my legs enough so he could enter me. He thrust himself into me once, twice... Both of our bodies were trembling. Severus braced himself against the wall with one arm and lifted me up with the other, I wrapped my legs around his waist as I raised myself as much as I could on the shelves behind me. He entered me again, deeper this time and I rotated my hips against his, making him gasp with pleasure. His breathing and the sounds he made were driving me mad and I could feel myself reaching the edge. Feeling like I couldn't last much longer, I leaned toward him and pressed my lips against his again, we kissed passionately and he began to thrust harder and faster. We would climax together. Our mouths parted and we both let out whimpering moans of pleasure. Then, the heat between my legs seemed to shatter causing a pulsing wave of indescribable sensations to wash over my body, I threw my head back and cried Severus' name. I tightened around him and could feel him throbbing inside of me.

We stayed connected for several moments, barely moving, just breathing heavily and holding each other. Snape finally broke away from me when he heard someone enter the room. "Oh dear," a familiar voice said from beyond the store cupboard. Dumbledore. "What is the meaning of this?" Another shrill voice called out. "Oh, to be young again," said Dumbledore with a chuckle. "No harm done here, Minister, perhaps we should leave them, wherever they might be. Though, I should have a word with my Potions Master when he is decent."

My heart dropped and I felt incredibly stupid for thinking that what we did was a good idea. Severus faced away from me, hiding the shame on his face. We gathered our clothes in silence and I felt so guilty I remained mute while he dressed and walked out of his room. I didn't practice any spells that night, I just stared out of the window into the black sky and ended up falling asleep.

I was woken up several hours later by Snape's hand brushing the hair away from my face. "How did you get in here?" I asked groggily, a smile peaking out of the corners of my lips. "Magic," he said as he knelt down and kissed my forehead. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him onto the bed with me. "Stay the night," I whispered, feeling sleep taking hold of me once more. He stood for a moment to remove his clothes and then climbed under the blankets with me and held me close to him.

When the sun rose in the morning, I found myself sleeping alone with a note on the pillow next to mine. "I had to leave early for class," it said in Severus' spidery handwriting. "I shall see you at 11 AM sharp for our lesson." And he signed it as 'Prof. Severus Snape'. I could only smile and roll my eyes.

Severus refused to speak of the night before during our Potions lesson, he said "There is a time and a place for such talk, but now I expect to see a competent Cure for Boils potion on my desk in the hour." He was a strict Professor and I found out that I wasn't as proficient at potion brewing as I was at Transfiguration or Charms. At the end of the lesson, Snape barely passed my potion and told me I needed to work harder and to pay closer attention to his direction. I left his class feeling rung out and made my way to the greenhouses for my Herbology lesson where I learned about the healing and restorative effects of Dittany.

For a while my days were mostly the same, I would go to my classes and then study at night. Most evenings Severus would visit my room and we would lay together in my bed. The days turned into weeks and Severus and I were becoming closer all the time. At night we would wander through the castle, hand in hand, with nothing but our wand light to guide us. Several times we had stopped to make love to each other in a disused classroom. The New Year came and went and we celebrated Severus' birthday. Neither of us had ever been so happy, it seemed as though the lives we lead up until we met each other were a bad dream. It felt like a lifetime ago had passed the last time I felt sorrow and I had forgotten the way tears felt it my eyes, I forgot the way my heart used to burn with hatred and fear. Now the only thing my heart remembered was the excited flutter it made when I saw my Prince smile, when I kissed him or held his hand.

In the months that followed the initial meeting between Dumbledore, the Minister and I, we had many more and the Headmaster explained to me everything that I needed to know about Voldemort, Death Eaters and my parents. I was scared to death that I would end up like them, but Dumbledore assured me that even if I were the heir of Slytherin and was capable of harnessing the Dark Arts, I need not use it. Severus and Dumbledore both told me on a regular basis how pure of a heart I had, and that if the choice had to be made, I would make the right decision.

The spring came slowly and the day I looked out of my window and saw the first flower buds peaking through the soil was the day I got the letter. I was sitting at the staff table eating my breakfast as always and an owl swooped down with a letter in its beak, dropped it on my plate and flew off again. I had never gotten the post before so I hesitated to open it. Severus looked at the envelope curiously, my name was printed on the front but nothing else. I used my butter knife to slice open the top of the envelope and pulled out a long piece of parchment. I read it quickly and then again more slowly, I couldn't believe what had been written there.

"This man says he's my father's brother," I said, handing the letter to him. He read it carefully and shook his head, "This isn't right. There's no record of either of your parents having siblings. Besides..." He didn't finish his thought but I knew what he wanted to say. Both of my parents were followers of Voldemort, and this person claiming to be my uncle could have been as well.

Snape wanted me to destroy the letter and warned me not to write him back, but my curiosity got the best of me. I didn't want Severus to be angry with me so I hid it from him. My uncle and I wrote once a week to each other and the owl always came to my room while Snape had class so he would never see me receive them. Eventually, after corresponding for a couple months, we made plans to meet. I only agreed to go after he promised that he had no involvement in the Dark Arts or Death Eater activities. The idea that I had family shaded my mind of logic. One warm night I crept out of the castle and traveled to Hogsmead. I figured I could spend a few hours there before going back to Hogwarts and Severus wouldn't even know I'd left.

We agreed to met behind the Three Broomsticks at midnight and my heart was pounding with anticipation. I waited for several minutes before a man wearing a dark cloak approached me. He looked different from what I had pictured him to be, the way he wrote to me was warm and I imagined him smiling as he wrote my letters. But the man who stood in front of me now looked like a smile may have never crossed his lips in a lifetime. This man was tall and intimidating and as he drew closer to me, my heart threatened to leap out of my chest. I gripped my want but before I even had a chance to raise my arm, the man flicked his own hand with deadly speed and my wand flew out of my hands like a toothpick. The only thing I could hear was the blood rushing in my head as the man rounded on me. My reaction was sluggish and I didn't manage to dodge his grasping arms. "I'm taking you to your parents," he growled in my ear as he held my hands behind my back. "You're going to come quietly, cause if you make a fuss then I'll have to do something about it."

"My parents are in Azkaba-" My words were cut off as the man clouted me across the cheek. "I said, shut it," he hissed as he hitched my arms up behind me. I let my head fall against my shoulder and began to feel my warm blood trickle from the corner of my lip.

Suddenly, a voice cried out from the darkness and a spell hit the man in the back, causing him to release my arms. I scrambled toward my wand as fast as I could. "Don't move!" the man who cast the spell shouted as he stepped forward.

As soon as I saw him, my heart dropped. "I told you not to continue this when you received the first letter," Snape scolded as he walked toward me, passing the stunned man that was now laying on his back with his eyes wide. He never took his eyes off of the man. He placed himself between us and grabbed my hand, "Go back to the castle, right now." I didn't move, I just stood there with my eyes on this person who just tried to take me away. "He said he was going to take me to my parents. I don't think they're in Azkaban, Severus. I think they're out there and they want me."

Snape breathed deeply and lowered his wand, he turned to me and grasped both of my hands in his. "Dumbledore didn't want to tell you because he trusted me to protect you. The Death Eaters are looking for you. They think that you will lead them now that the Dark Lord is gone." My lip trembled and I wished with all of my heart that I hadn't betrayed his trust in me.

The corner of his lip curled slightly, "I love you with more of my heart than I ever thought I could. You've brought me back from the dead," he said as he embraced me. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my chin on his shoulder. "I never thought I could feel so absolutely whole. My life was meaningless before I met you," he whispered to me as his arms held me tight. "I feel the same way, Severus," I answered.

And something happened then so quickly that I barely heard the sound of his screaming. I saw the Death Eater's arm reach out and grasp the wand that lay at his side. He bolted upright and aimed his want at Severus' back. With a rush of adrenaline fueling me, I twisted my body and threw Snape aside, he was taken off guard and could not react in time to shield me from the Death Eater's curse. Our eyes met the instant that the spell hit my back and his mouth gaped in horror.

"NO!" Severus shrieked as he watched my body fall to the ground. He turned his eyes to the Death Eater that stared in disbelief at my body. The Prince's hand flew out and he slashed the air in front of him over and over again screaming, "SECTUMSEMPRA! SECTUMSEMPRA! SECTUMSEMPRA!" The Death Eater's blood painted the side of the Three Broomsticks and Snape stood over him, trying to catch his breath.

After his rage subsided, Severus ran to my body and picked me up in his arms, his face twisted in agony. I barely had enough strength to keep my eyes open, my blood flowed freely onto the ground and Snape tried with all his might to heal the cursed wounds but to no avail.

"Baby," I whispered, my throat was being filled with blood that I choked on. "I love you." His eyes were wide as saucers and he shook his head violently, in denial that these were my last moments. "My life," I began, struggling to speak through the blood, struggling to stay awake. "It was bad. I wanted to die every day. But," I winced and willed myself to continue, I needed to tell him. "When I met you, my love, my prince, I forgot about that life." I turned my head away from him and let the blood drain from my mouth. "It was worth it, fourteen years of pain, just to love you. It was worth it. I am so happy. I-" Severus kissed me with quivering lips and I summoned all my strength to return it. "I will love you, Severus Snape, forever and always. Thank you for bringing me back from the dead. Teaching me how... to love." I spoke no more. My eyes closed slowly and I took only one more breath before I succumbed to my wounds.

Snape pressed his face into my neck and rocked back and forth, sobbing wildly. Out of nowhere, Dumbeldore appeared next to Severus and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We should move her back to Hogwarts now and we can make arrangements for the burial. Severus..." Snape didn't respond, he just gripped me tighter. "Severus, please. I know how hard it is for you, Lily all over again," Dumbledore tried to coax him up but all his words did were make him wince. "No," Snape said finally. "I didn't know love when I knew Lily, I had no idea." Dumbledore shook his head silently.

"I meant to marry you," Severus whispered to my deaf ears.

The two wizards stood in the darkness for a long time without uttering another word. Severus eventually carried my ravaged body back to the castle, he refused to use a Levitation Charm and said that he wanted to feel what my body felt like next to his for as long as he could. Dumbledore instructed Snape to remain in his office while he found a proper place to store my body before they could make arrangements with it. He obeyed and sat in silent anguish until the Headmaster returned.

"I beg of you," Severus cried as he gazed up at Dumbledore with dead eyes. "Take my memories of her away. I can't stand how this feels. I would rather have the Cruciatus Curse cast on me until the end of my days than to bear the pain I feel any longer."

"Severus," Dumbledore began. "I do not believe that removing the memories of her will cure you of your pain." Snape began to speak in protest but the Headmaster would not allow it. "If I removed such profound memories from your mind, it would ruin you. I cannot do that. I would be depriving you of happy memories, Severus, I would undo everything she built for you."

Snape sat there and shook his head at every word Dumbedore spoke, tears burning tracks down his cheeks. "I am ruined," he whimpered. "I am... absolutely ruined. My love... My life, everything. There is nothing left for me to do but die," he cried.

"She sacrificed herself to save you, even though she knew what she was capable of. Even you knew, didn't you?" Dumbledore watched Snape writhe in his chair.

"Of course I did," he said looking disgusted. "She thought that she could be the savior of the people. She wanted to save us all."

"And she could have, but she died to save something more important to her than the world," the Headmaster bowed his head and took his wand from inside of his robes. "If you don't live with the burden of her death, you will be overcome with sadness forevermore. I don't believe, Severus, that if I am successful in this, that you will be capable of feeling true happiness ever again. Are you prepared?"

Snape looked at the old, white wizard with defeated, tired eyes and nodded. "I'll take the cowards way out, just like I always do."

The Headmaster nodded, pointed his wand at the Slytherin and said in a sad voice, "Obliviate."

Severus Snape closed his eyes as Albus Dumbledore cast the spell and when he opened them, he had forgotten almost an entire year of his life. The only thing that remained was a burning hole in his chest.

"How are you feeling, Severus?" Professor Dumbledore asked as the Potions Master stood uneasily from his seat.

He gazed at the man wearing midnight blue robes. And for a moment, a picture came to his mind before fading again. Like waking up from a vivid dream and feeling it slip away like smoke.

"I feel..." Snape looked down at the floor, then back to Dumbledore.

"I feel fine, Headmaster." Severus lingered for a moment in the round office before taking his leave. Dumbledore sighed heavily and sat behind his desk.

Forever after, Snape's memory charm never weakened. He never thought about the girl that he planned to marry, even when he found the modest ring he had purchased for her, it struck no chords, he just gazed at it with curiosity unable to recall why he had such an item and discarded it.

Years passed and the Potions Master led a life of solitude.

And when the last breath passed his lips, and his eyes saw no more, the charm was broken. The face that greeted him at the end of it all was I. We clasped our hands and cried aloud. How much pain must one go through to earn everlasting happiness? Severus Snape knows.


End file.
